Google has partnered up with two US electricity companies to help reduce the energy consumption of its AI data centre during spikes in demand.
The rapid rise of generative AI is putting a strain on the US electrical grid as companies such as Google, OpenAI, Microsoft and xAI require massive amounts of power to train their models.
It stated the agreements with Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) and Tennessee Power Authority mark the first time Google is delivering data centre demand response, by temporarily reducing workloads during periods of high usage.
“It allows large electricity loads like data centres to be interconnected more quickly, helps reduce the need to build new transmission and power plants, and helps grid operators more effectively and efficiently manage power grids”, Michael Terrell, Head of Advanced Energy for Google explained in a blog post.
The tech giant released its tenth annual environmental report in June, which stated the company reduced its data centre energy emissions by 12 per cent.
While it is early days for Google’s demand response programme, Terrell noted flexible demand is an important piece of its sustainability portfolio.
“It can be deployed quickly, helping bridge the gap between short-term load growth and long-term clean energy solutions, and delivers immediate benefits”.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Stock Image
